


A spiders fate

by ArtoriusIV



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, F/F, Science, Sombra is trying to be nice but it backfires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-03-30 02:06:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19032550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtoriusIV/pseuds/ArtoriusIV
Summary: Moira is still human no matter how much she wishes she wasn'tGabriel has dirt on MoiraSombra has someone to protectWidowmaker is caught in the middle of multiple schemes





	1. Plot

“Gabriel, I am a geneticist,, not a neurosurgeon. I barely understand what those barbarians are doing to her.”

“Yeah, but you're smart. You'll figure it out. I'm not asking you to bring her back to normal, not to bring back Gerard. Just, try to give her something." And then those cursed words which meant she couldn't say no "For me?" A sigh "For you. But i make no promises."

 

Its been years since that conversation. Years since she turned her bosses best friends wife into the widow maker. She never touched her mind, no, Talon had others for that. Others that went missing not long after she learned who they were. A pity, Talon would have loved more brainlessly loyal soldiers. She can barely stand the thought of it. The grunts, even more brainless? No, not if she could stop it. It was the first time she thinks Gabriel ate without guilt, knowing that this mans death was nothing to cry over.

She's been struggling, the first year everything was progressing as it should have. A slow decline in her conditioning, elevated hormone levels, increased rate of neural pathway regeneration, almost back to a normal level. But then, suddenly it just stopped. Or, went back to how it was. If she wasn't so sure there were no copies of the procedure she'd say someone re-conditioned her from scratch. But there were no files. She and Gabriel had deleted them all. Burned the rest. Destroyed anything that had seen them, anyone they could get away with who might have been able to understand it.

She was not looking forward to this discussion however. Another day, another checkup, another slough of disappointing results. Her vitals were almost back to where they had been when Moira first got her hands on her.

With a sigh Moira leaves her lab, stalking the halls of the Talon base, ignoring those she passed. Small bubbles of frustration building as small glimpses of the grunts, faceless fools, catch her eye. A beauty mark here, skin condition there blue eyes, red hair there. Quite likely dyed given the genetics of it. A crooked nose, a second glance, broken, likely when he, she, was young.

This is why the faceless, useless members of the organization need their masks. The bodies serving her no use, and distracting her during her work. Not that many would call this visit work per se. She knocks three times, briskly, on ‘the reapers’ door. So like Gabriel, the dramatic ass he is to choose such a ridiculous name for himself. And to think he chose it before he and Moira began his genetic conditioning that eventually turned him into the ghost, monster, that he is.

She walks in without waiting for him to answer it, he is likely trying to relax, maintain his form after a day of physical exercise. It is always hardest for him to maintain a physical form after having to be so solid for such a long time. “Gabriel.” she calls out looking for him. Following his irritated grunt, which she otherwise ignores. He’s laying on his back on his couch, much like a sunbathing cat.

“Gabriel died in the Swiss explosion, don’t you read the news Moira?” he grumbles without moving or looking up. She watches as a few tendrils wisp around him gently, leaking out from under his mask as he lays there. Moira however scoffs at his melodrama, as usual. “I just finished another fruitless examination of Lacroix. No changes still, in fact she’s almost regressed back to the day we got her. Are you sure we got all of the documents from that imbecile who did this to her?” she asks

A sigh as Gabes finally shifts to look her way “Yes Moira, I am sure we got it all. I even asked Sombra to dig for it, she got nada from it and if she can’t find it, it’s good as gone.” he says, before abruptly sitting upright, the wisps flowing out from under his coat almost alarming if Moira wasn’t keeping such a close eye on his condition. “Sombra!”

Moira waits for the evidently following statement, but none are forth coming “Gabriel?” she inquires waiting for him to explain himself further. “Her and Lacroix have gotten rather close of late, and I’d even bet they’re dating, and you remember losing to me last time I said someone was dating. But she could dick into your machines right? Change the outputs to show what she thinks you want to see. Which, she would think you want Lacroix brainwashed.”

Moira looks at him “Really? You think, bluntly, Sombra is so in love with our emotionless sniper that she is hacking Talon in order to keep her safe from... what? What would I even do. She knows the documents are gone, and she should know better than that I was the one to rewire her brain.”

“I mean you did.” “Besides the point Gabriel.” which just gets him to chuckle “Okay, but hear me out. She only see’s your scary doctor side.” “That’s all there is Gabe.” she interrupts, which gets him to laugh again “Right right, he’s never seen you uncertain, or bothered, or _human_.” a huff “I’m **not.** ” she argues. Once more Gabe chuckles, but takes off his mask to actually talk to her. “Okay, actually listen to me Doctor O’Deorain the great and terrible and not human.” he watches her, as she just eyes him with irritation.

“Okay, so, this does fall under the assumption that our gloriously brilliant geneticist did what she thinks she did. Lacroix is feeling things again, and her and Sombra got close, which, if little birdies are to be trusted, they are. So, she is worried about our sniper, which is likely. From there she thinks you some monster maker, look at me, she bitches about you to me all the damn time thinking you ruined me.” That gets an irritated huff from Moira and a roll of her eyes.

“So, she thinks you are a monster, making more monsters. She sees you testing on her loved one, and freaks out. She wants to keep her safe. So... She hacks your machines to feed you the lies she thinks you want. Besides, she’s not here for Talon, same way you aren’t. She’s just after Talon resources too. She’s already crossed us once, though for our benefit. Remember the Volskaya mission? That was her.”

Moira seems to think on this for a while, something Gabriel is used to with her. When the motives of others are personal and emotional it usually takes her longer to figure them out. “I am taking her to Oasis.” she says turning to leave, and without turning “This does not mean I trust your ‘birds’ Gabriel, or think the two are dating. Sombra s far too childish for it. And if Lacroix had her feelings back, what would make her move on from her husband?”


	2. Intruige

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Widow finally has to confront the Irish doctor who made her who she is. Things are revieled to be not as they seem

"She's taking me to Oasis."

 

"What?! Why? She hates bringing talon members there. Gabes like, the only exception because of their past." The hacker is obviously worried.

 

A shrug "I do not know. Perhaps you were sloppy?"

 

"I am not sloppy."

 

Widow arches an eyebrow, looking around Sombras room at the mess, chip bags, crumbs, and more energy drink cans than is healthy l itter her desk area. Her bed is only clear since she's started insisting she actually sleep in the bed instead of a chair.

 

"Okay, fine. But not with my work. Besides its Moira, she wouldn't even know what to look for." Sombra relents catching her girlfriends meaningful gaze at her workspace.

 

Another shrug "I do not know why, but, I fear what could happen. I do not think she was the one who conditioned me. She hasn't helped in that either..."

 

"Hasn't helped!" Sombra yells, evidently outraged "She's giving the _culos_ everything they need to keep it up."

 

A scoff "Like it has worked well." "It would be if I weren't messing with her results!" The hacker insists, not liking a moment of Widows defense of Moira. She gets enough of the 'Shes not so bad' from Gabriel. And she turned him into a damned ghost!  
  
Widow sighs as she comes to drape herself over the back of Sombra’s chair, and by extension the hacker herself. “Cherie, there is nothing that can be done here, other than hope. That, and wait. So, you will be here when I return?” and the subtle notes of uncertainty, of fear, almost break the hackers heart to hear.  
  
“Of course, I won’t go anywhere, spend the entire time on your bed.” she says, sincerely despite her choice of words. Widow visibly relaxes at that, and by visibly, just enough of a relaxation of the shoulders that Olivia can notice it and relaxes herself, assured that Widow is as relaxed as she possibly can be.  


* * *

The air trip had been silent. Moira reading something on her tablet as a facade to examine her. To study her in isolation. She kept herself stock still, focused on nothing in front of her, as she waits for them to land. That was 3 hours ago and she had been strapped into a chair, much looser than typical when this occurs on base. She had been left alone in the lab for the last 2 hours while Moira was off doing whatever she was off doing.  
  
The door opened without any fanfare and Moira stepped back in. “Lacroix, I have an important question to ask you, and I need you to be honest with me.”  
  
“Of course _Docteur_.” she says, empty, emotionless. And to her surprise the doctor sounds compassionate when she asks “How long have you had your emotions for? And how long has Sombra been hiding the changes that have been affecting you?”  
  
Widow blinks, confused and scared. She knows, the _docteur_ knows that she isn’t perfect anymore. That her plans have been foiled. She doesn’t realize she is shaking until a cold hand is placed on her somehow warmer shoulder and she looks up into Moira’s face. It’s impassive, but there is evidently no anger held in her gaze, “Lacroix, I need to know because your body has been deteriorating slightly and as a result there are a number of new medications that I will need to be prescribing you.”  
  
Widow is surprised at how calm, how.... nice she is sounding and being right now. It in itself is enough to bring the panic attack back on, where Moira leans down and holds her face in a tight grip, forcing her to look at her “Lacroix, breathe. Count from 100 down to 57.”  
  
She starts, the command still holding sway over her, as she counts down, stopping when she reaches 57, her breathing normal, the panic manageable. The emotions, manageable. She looks at her, “Pourquoi?” she asks, needing to understand, and she doesn’t even know if it’s understand why she did it, how she knew, she just needed to understand.  
  
A smile, one that doesn’t look malicious graces the doctors lip “I made you that way.” she says, and the fear returns to Widowmakers body. Moira stands, stepping back and Widow doesn’t realize how much she needed that until she can breathe properly again. “After you killed Gerard, I was brought on to make you better, since you no longer needed to be human to get close to your mark anymore. However Gabriel has never really believed in Talons goals so he asked me to save you. I, have my own reasons for doing him the favor, but I did. I modified your body to heal faster, move faster, hit harder, better in almost every way. Among the many changes though, I strengthened your brain, so it would regenerate and heal from whatever the butcher who did this to you in the first place did. Gabriel and I killed him, and destroyed all of his documents, in order to prevent this from happening again.”  
  
Widow sits there, unbelieving. That explains her involvement, but... “Why are you being nice?” she asks bluntly. That gets Moira to laugh, not the expected result from such a question. “I am not the evil doctor Sombra, or you, think I am. I may not be the best MD, but that was never what I went to school for, nor what I had any intention of doing until Gabriel conned me into being his field medic. Honestly I am barely qualified to even do that and only using some experimental healing tech based on Mercy’s did I manage it.” she explains “I am being kind because this is who I am. Though, I suppose trying to call me kind is a stretch still.”  
  
Widow can’t help the scoff that escapes her at that, “Indeed _docteur_.” she finds herself agreeing, the tension slowly leaving her body. She wouldn’t say that she likes Moira, but at least now she has a better understanding of what it is she wants, what she is looking for.  
  
“Now, I have work to do and you have councilmen to continue convincing you are conditioned. I will have a transport sent for you, tonight if you want to return to your loved one, the morning if you wish to sleep without their eyes on you.”  
  
the answer for Widow isn’t even one she has to think about. “Now.” she says.


	3. Catalyst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The scene that set me out on this adventure, Sombra being confronted by Moira, and her perception of the elder completely shattered.

"I need to speak to her in private. The only way I can do that, is if you shoot her."

 

"Fine, but if my cross-hair's slip..."

 

"Yes, I will be in them. When the time is right I leave to you."

 

***

Its been three months since that conversation. And only now is Sombra being rolled into Moira's lab. A single bullet wound i her leg. Normally she'd be brought to the medbay, but she had already made it known that she was to see Sombra if she became... Indisposed at all. A lie about needing to run a diagnostic on her augments.

 

"Good, you can leave now. I do not need incompetent hands meddling with my work." Sometimes she was glad for her reputation. Glad that people feared her, it made it easier for her to do things like this. Of course they scurry away, like frightened rats, grateful they don't have to do anything for the cold doctor.

 

Sombra looks at her, confused as to what Moira was doing here, “So, _brula_ , why are you actually doing your job for once?” she asks, intentionally needling the doctor. Moira however merely chuckles, “I’m not. I am doing the job Gabriel decided I was qualified for despite having no qualifications in medicine or really biology prior to working with him.”   
  
“Ugh, stop being semantic, why are you seeing me?” she asks, clarifying her question to get an actual answer from the frustrating doctor she works with. “Because you’ve been meddling with my own work, and I need you to stop. Widowmaker is severely nutrient deficient as a result of the improper data you’ve been feeding me.”   
  
There is a moment of panic that crosses the hackers face before she schools her expression once more “I don’t know what you mean? You’re lab is incredibly secure, on a private network and everything. Remember you refused to let me set anything up because you were worried I was going to bug everything? How would I have gotten anything to get into that system?” she counters, upset that Moira has caught on. Unsure how she even would have had any idea that her system was compromised.  
  
Moira rolls her eyes, “I do not know nor care how you got yourself into my lab, I would have thought you might show more sympathy for your girlfriend then that. Though, I suppose you forget that I do have feelings, as rarely as I show them.”   
  
Sombra however doesn’t react to being called out, as accurate as it is, on her opinion on the geneticist. “You still going on about me dating someone without emotions _chica_ , how would that even work?” a weak defence and she knows it. She just hopes that Moira won’t call her bluff.  
  
Moira sighs, and heads off for a moment returning with two manilla folders, one which she opens and shows to Sombra, “These, are the results that you’ve been messing with. These” a different chart, with much higher values almost across the board “are the ones I got without your meddling. As you can tell the results are very different.”

 

Sombra looks up at her and grins “Well you caught me, what now?” she says, wondering why it took so long, why Moira waited three months to get her. And why she is showing her she knows, why she had whoever it was shoot her in the leg instead of just killing her.   
  
“Now, I get you to trust me.” she says, handing her the other folder, and then turning to her leg, her field gear nearby so she grabs it and sprays over Sombra’s leg, healing it quickly. Sombra looks at her, confused, then back to the folder in front of her. Cautiously she opens it, the first, a picture labelled as an injury from the widows kiss, beside it, a picture taken on the flight here, labelled as her own injury.   
  
She may not be a doctor, but she can tell they are eerily similar, if not the same. As if to demonstrate that better, the next sheet shows the analysis of the wound, and confirms they are made by the same calibre of bullet. Sombra, and most of Talon, are well aware that the widows kiss is entirely unique. So widow shot her, but why? “What did you do to her?” she asks, the anger evident in her voice, looking for her gun to shoot the doctor, or at least threaten her. She doesn’t entirely know.   
  
“I told her the truth, I am not surgeon, much less a neurologist, or a hypnotist. I would have no idea where to start with the sort of mental conditioning that it took to make the Widowmaker. The remaining notes there are what was done to her, the only ones in existence. As well as an article, that you might recognize a name in.” she says, calmly, back still to the hacker. Though she doesn’t make her way any nearer her either.  
  
True to what Moira said, it is a paper, directly in a magazine no less. It’s the only article left in the journal, the rest obviously ripped or cut out. She skims it briefly, before she sets it aside looking for the news article Moira had mentioned. Again, from an actual, physical, newspaper, and she reads it. A suicide of a scientist, cross referencing, the one who wrote the paper on mind conditioning. “I assume the suicide is wrong then? Another Talon scientist who’d outgrown their use?” she asks darkly  
  
Moira shakes her head, finally turning to face her as she comes closer, “Talon yes, though they didn’t want him dead. Gabriel asked for me to help Amelie, this I explained to her those months ago. So, I made her stronger, more resilient.” And it clicks, “You made her blue, and calm, but also resistant to this.” she says, slapping the journal against her lap, as she speaks.   
  
“Yes, I have, and that is why I knew you had messed with my machines, not because I am a hacker, but because I knew her symptoms should have been increasing, not improving suddenly.” she says, which unknown to the geneticist, makes the hacker feel significantly better, she hadn’t underestimated Moira, she had just been missing this. But, how? “How did I not know?”  
  
“Gabriel and I spent a long time hiding it, scrubbing all of the evidence of it. We never wanted anyone else to be able to repeat it, so we eliminated all evidence of it happening except the most obvious. I implied I had done it all, but anyone with knowledge of what I actually studied knows better. I would have no ability to break someone’s brain.” she says, sounding a little disappointed at how easy it was for her to become the villain, for people to believe her capable, and willing, to do such a thing.

 

Sombra looks away, a little sheepish for also having fallen for the ruse. That’s her thing, lying, manipulating, implying things that aren’t the case to be true. “So, what? You wanted me here to gloat? To tell me your smarter then me?” she asks, a little acidly, what she didn’t expect was Moira to laugh at that.   
  
“No no, I asked for you to help me. Akande and the rest of the council must never find out of what Gabriel and I did, much less the state of which Lacroix is in, that being said, you’re meddling has had major impacts on her recovery. Her body doesn’t absorb nutrients properly anymore, and with the mental conditioning's breaking her body is using up extra resources.” a moment, “Essentially she is sick, and her body needs more nutrients and food then normal. I need to know what that is so that I can help her, while not letting anyone else know what happened.”  
  
Sombra looks at her, and her first thought isn’t ‘of course’, no it’s that this would be the perfect way to get them out, both of them. To be free from Talon, right? No, it wouldn’t, even if she got Moira and Gabe killed over this, that wouldn’t get them out, wouldn’t manage to let them escape. But, maybe, just maybe, having them work together could make it less hell, especially for Widow.

Plus, she kinda likes Gabe too. “Yeah yeah, I can give you something to keep them off your back. But you owe me too.” she says, not that it wasn’t obvious itself. “More than keeping your girlfriend alive and healthy? Fine.” she agrees with ease, which shocks the hacker, but she recovers quickly “Glad we have that settled then _chica_.” she says getting off the gurney, “Then, I have a base to return too, as lovely as Oasis is, it’s more your kinda place, not mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for coming with me on this journey. I am not so sure I like how it's ended, and MIGHT do an epilogue of some sort, probably the 4 here interacting around doomfist for a few, maybe some cuddles between the couple, I have no idea. let me know what you want in the comments I guess?

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this update comes late, I lost the muse I was hopeful to keep, but I got it back for this. I hope you enjoy chapter two as much as you enjoyed chapter 1. One more to go, probably going to be a few weeks for that one as well sorry all.


End file.
